The Beast In Me
by WithHonors
Summary: Amber Gilbert is used to always being second best compared to Elena, but when two vampire brothers come to town, she finds that it's getting harder and harder to deal with never being as good as her sister. Set from S1E1-present. No current pairings, open to suggestions.


_**Amber Gilbert is used to always being second best compared to Elena, but when two vampire brothers come to town, she finds that it's getting harder and harder to deal with never being as good as her sister. Set from S1E1-present. No current pairings, open to suggestions. **_

**Hey everyone! So this is my first Vampire Diaries fanfiction. I'm currently working on a Teen Wolf and OUAT Panfic if you guys want to check those ones out. I'm trying to stick to the original plotline and episodes as much as possible. Let me know what you guys think and if you have any suggestions for pairings and such please review and let me know. This is kind of a trial chapter to see if you guys want more and want me to continue writing this. I've got two more chapters written for 'Night of the Comet' and 'Friday Night Bites' and the more reviews the faster I update. Enjoy :)**

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><p>Amber awoke to the familiar scent of coffee, a daily wake up call in their house. She glanced over at her alarm clock, noticing the time. <em>Shit,<em> she thought to herself as she jumped from her bed, sprinting to the bathroom. She quickly brushed her teeth and threw her hair into a ponytail, slipping on a bit of mascara and running back into her room. She slipped on a tight black shirt and her favorite skinny jeans, grabbing her maroon cardigan from the chair by her desk. She slipped into her black combat boots and sprinted down the stairs.

" Toast! I can make toast!" Amber smirked as she entered the kitchen, tossing a pen into her backpack as Jenna rushed around the room.

"It's all about the coffee aunt Jenna." Elena interjected. Amber nodded in agreement and snatched her phone off the table.

" Is there coffee?" Jeremy questioned, appearing out of thin air.

" Not anymore." Amber stated as she drained the last of the pot of coffee into a travel mug.

" It's your first day of school and I'm totally unprepared! Lunch money?" Jenna mumbled, still rushing around the kitchen.

" Don't you have a presentation today?" Elena questioned and Amber shot Jenna a comforting glance.

" Seriously don't worry about us, we're fine." Amber explained, drinking her coffee religiously.

" Crap! I need to go." Jenna muttered, untying her hair and disappearing from sight.

" You okay?" Elena spoke up, addressing her two other siblings.

" Don't start." Jeremy grumbled as he walked out the front door. Amber just bit her lip and followed Jeremy out the door. On her way out, Amber glanced quickly at the television, noticing a missing person's report. A couple in their early twenties. How sad.

Unlike Elena who always rode with Bonnie, Amber preferred to walk alone to school. Jeremy hitched rides with some of his stoner friends, they offered her a ride from time to time but she always rejected them. She preferred the loneliness and the ability to walk past her parent's graves in the morning since that seemed to be the only time she wouldn't run into Elena there. She loved her sister to death, but sometimes she was a bit of a drag.

Ever since the accident, Elena had taken the blame upon herself. Of course, Amber had ignored every sobbing night that her sister had spent alone. Their walls were paper thing and Amber had excellent hearing. Nothing about the accident had been Elena's fault. Amber just looked for the silver lining, finding one in the fact that her sister had survived. While Amber hadn't been close to either of her parents, she still mourned on her own time, in tribute to the time they _had _spent together instead of the time they hadn't.

As she continued past the graveyard she pulled out her cell phone, checking the time. She had ten minutes to get to class and she was nearly fifteen minutes from school. She began to jog and arrived at the front doors of the school right before the warning bell rang. She took a deep breath and yanked open the door, preparing herself for all the pity she was about to endure.

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><p>The first one to notice her was Caroline. She had just gotten done hugging Elena when she spotted Amber. She rushed over to her and threw her arms around Amber's neck. Amber stumbled back. She was surprised by the amount of force that came with the hug. Caroline had always been more of a friend to Amber than Elena so she wasn't shocked when she freaked out on her for not calling her all summer.<p>

" It's so good to see you," She then slapped Amber's arm, "Now why haven't you called me all summer?" Amber smiled, Caroline always got straight to the point.

" I've been out of town actually. I went on a long hike through New England and just got back the other day. I'm still getting settled in." She shrugged, actually missing her best friend.

" Listen, I'll chew you out later, I've got a hottie to chase…" Caroline looked past Amber and she followed Caroline's eyes. A tall boy stood near the end of the hall, dressed from head to toe in black and leather, with combat boots similar to Amber's and aviators that hid his eyes. She watched as he walked past her and Caroline and straight into Elena.

Amber rolled her eyes, of course _she_ would immediately get his attention. But this year was going to be different. Elena's reign as queen was over, and Amber's was about to begin. She spun back to face Caroline, taking in her drooling expression over the new guy. Amber ignored it and walked away, heading for her first class of the day.

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><p>That night Amber was watching TV in the living room while Elena prepared to go meet up with Bonnie and Caroline. Usually, Amber would go with them, but she still hadn't finished unpacking and decided that she'd swing by The Grill around nine. She was still settling in and although unpacking was a pain in the ass, she wanted to get it all done before she got too unorganized. Being a neat freak was one of Amber's best qualities.<p>

" Hey I'm meeting up with Bonnie at The Grille!" Elena mumbled as she walked by Jenna and Amber on the couch.

" Okay have fun! Wait, I've got this…Don't stay out late, it's a school night." Jenna responded in a mock serious tone.

Elena smirked and continued on towards the front door, swinging it open as she waved goodbye to Amber. She stopped in her place and Amber leaned over the sofa to get a glance of who was at the door.

" Hey I wanted to apologize for my disappearing act earlier, I know it was strange." A male voice murmured from beyond the door. Amber leaned over further and got a glimpse of the new guy, smiling sheepishly as he stuck his hands into his pockets.

" I get it. Blood makes you squeamish." Elena replied, Amber rolled her eyes and decided to go introduce herself.

" New guy!" Amber hopped off the couch and walked over to the door, she extended her hand to him and smiled flirtatiously as he took it.

" I'm Amber, Elena's older sister. I'm also senior class president." She spoke to the new guy as Elena went to get her jacket.

" I'm Stefan Salvatore, just moved back here to live with my uncle." He responded. Amber smiled and Elena walked back into the room. She looked at Stefan and was about to say something but he interrupted her.

" Would you like to join us?" He asked Amber, but she shook her head.

" I was planning to swing by The Grille around nine, but I'm still settling in, just got back from a long hiking trip." She shrugged, turning to look at Elena.

" Have fun." Amber said before walking back over to the sofa and sitting down. She flipped through the channels, still procrastinating her unpacking, until she noticed something familiar on the news channel. It was a story about an animal attack that had happened just on the outskirts of town. The two faces seemed somewhat familiar and she remembered seeing them that morning on the news.

" Hey Jenna, I think I'm going to run out real quick. I'll be back in a couple hours." Amber hollered as she rushed out the front door. She started up her car and backed out of the driveway, planning on driving out to the road where those two bodies were discovered.

She drove through the dark, occasionally glancing behind her to check for any potential followers. She was always slightly paranoid, but something was drawing her out to that street. She had acquired a strange infatuation with mysteries over the summer and she was curious about the animal that could cause that much damage around Mystic Falls. The only animal she could think of was a wolf, but the way they described the bite marks sounded nothing like a wolf. When she pulled onto the road she was looking for, she pulled over to the side of the road and parked her car.

She hopped out, grabbing the switchblade she kept with her for protection. She slipped a flashlight out from her bag and shined it on bright yellow tape that lined a small area of the woods, including the car of the victims. _That's odd_, she thought to herself as she approached the car. She ducked under the police tape and walked straight up to the car. She noticed a dent in the hood and a trail of blood that had flowed from whatever had been lying there.

Her curiosity took over as she thought back to physics class. The dent on the hood could've only been caused by something with a normal to heavy density being dropped from a decent height, from Amber's perspective it would've had to be over a 30 feet drop. The only things surrounding the area were trees. Last time she checked, wolves couldn't climb trees. With her curiosity satisfied she trotted back to her car and made a U-turn, heading back towards town.

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><p>Amber pulled into The Grille parking lot at exactly nine o'clock, not at all surprising for her. She was always on time. She parked her car across the street and glanced at her reflection, adjusting her loose ponytail and checking to make sure her eyeliner was still in place. Once she was satisfied she climbed out of her car and jogged across the street and into The Grille. Amber paused in the doorway, looking around to see if she could spot Elena and her friends.<p>

Amber spotted Elena sitting at a table with Stefan, Bonnie and Caroline and she made her way towards them. She stopped by Matt and gave him a quick hug before continuing over to their table.

" So are you going tomorrow night?" Stefan questioned Elena and Amber guessed that they were talking about the party.

" Of course she is! It's tradition. If she doesn't go willingly, I'll drag her there myself." Amber piped up from where she had just sat down. Stefan smiled, still gazing at Elena and while his head was turned Amber made kissy faces behind Stefan's back.

" I'm going, probably by means of kidnapping…" Elena joked and everyone laughed. They continued talking until the clock struck eleven, by then most of the high school kids had cleared out and all that was left were the jocks and their little table.

" I'm going to go say 'hey' to Tyler and head out." Amber smiled, rising from her chair and making a beeline for the pool tables.

" Vicki's got some competition…" She heard Elena mumble as she walked away. Amber smirked, knowing that Elena was right.

Amber's had a crush on Tyler Lockwood since he was a freshman and she was still a nerdy sophomore. Of course she still was a nerd, but she kept that side of herself hidden from the rest of the world. Now she was up for captain of the varsity cheer squad and already voted senior class president. She had luckily developed over her last summer away and finally looked just as sophisticated and mature as she felt. By some miracle she had grown into her body without looking completely awkward and now she stood a proud 5'8" with her long caramel hair and piercing emerald eyes. She loved her eyes the most. Her junior year she had finally decided to stop hiding behind her glasses and got contacts that enhanced her natural eye color. She felt great. Amber mustered up all her courage as she sauntered up next to Tyler.

" Tyler Lockwood. You sure have changed." Amber purred, waiting for him to turn around and acknowledge her.

" Amber, how've you been?" Tyler questioned, setting down his pool cue before finally turning to look at Amber. His jaw nearly dropped as he took in her slightly improved appearance.

" I went hiking in New England all summer so I'm pretty good right now. How about yourself? I hear you're still 'dating' Vicki…along with half the cheerleading squad." Amber commented, loving the fact that she could make fun of him and completely get away with it now.

" Yes, but none of those cheerleaders are you." Tyler smiled, cocking his brow in what appeared to be a flirty manner.

" You're right, because I'm much more badass than all of those boobs-for-brains cheer girls. I'm also up for senior captain, so I guess that just proves it." Amber replied, leaning closer to Tyler as he took another drink of what she assumed was alcohol— compliments of Vicki.

" Well, I wish you the best of luck. I'll see you at the party tomorrow night. Drive safe, okay?" Tyler stopped their playful flirting and Amber smiled, leaning in to give him a quick hug before walking out the door and heading home.

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><p>" The Battle of Willow Creek took place near the end of the war right in our own Mystic Falls. How many casualties resulted from this battle? Miss Bennett?" Mr. Tanner droned on as Amber stared out the window. The class was as boring as ever, and since Amber was only a student aide and not actually in his class she didn't have to answer any nonsense questions. Mr. Tanner still bored her though, but she didn't choose to aide for his class, being senior class president didn't always have its perks.<p>

" A lot. Like a whole lot." Bonnie answered. Amber snickered, hiding a smile as she pulled out her phone and checked her messages.

" Cute becomes dumb in an instant Miss Bennett. Mr Donovan! Would you like to take this opportunity to overcome your embedded jock stereotype?" Mr. Tanner continued.

" It's okay Mr. Tanner, I'm cool with it." Amber smiled, sending Matt a text saying 'high five'.

" Elena, surely you can enlighten us about one of the town's most historically significant events." Mr. Tanner turned towards Amber's younger sister and Amber tensed up.

" I'm sorry, I, I don't know." Elena responded. Amber slipped her phone back into her pocket and sat up, watching Mr. Tanner intently.

" I was willing to be lenient last year for obvious reasons, Elena. But the personal excuses ended with summer break." Mr. Tanner hissed.

" Screw off." Amber muttered just loud enough for Mr. Tanner to hear. He snapped his head towards her and she stood up, not letting him intimidate her.

" I'm going to give you a chance to redeem yourself Ms. Gilbert, since you are my student aide and senior class president, I'm almost positive you can tell us the answer." Mr. Tanner said behind clenched teeth.

" Well I don't know exactly, around 350 probably. However, I do know that there will be exactly one foot up your ass if you don't cut the 'I'm a total dick' act." Amber stated, earning several claps from the back of the class and a very angry look from Mr. Tanner. Before he could open his mouth to say anything a familiar voice spoke up from behind Amber.

" 346, unless you're counting local civilians." Stefan spoke up, evading Tanner's attention from Amber to him. She silently thanked him and sat back at her desk.

" That's correct. Mister…"

" Salvatore." Stefan replied, filling in the blank for Mr. Tanner.

" Salvatore. Any relation to the original settlers here at Mystic Falls?" Mr. Tanner questioned. Amber pulled her phone back out of her pocket and noticed a text from Elena. She decided to ignore it and tuned back into the conversation between Tanner and Salvatore.

" The Founder's Archives are stored in City Hall if you'd like to brush up on your facts Mr. Tanner." Amber bit her lip to keep from laughing and luckily for them all, the bell rang before anyone could cause any more damage.

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><p>That night was the annual back to school party at 'The Falls of Mystic Falls'. Amber went in a small group with Caroline and Bonnie. They were supposed to meet up with Elena at some point, and Elena was supposedly meeting Stefan there, but Amber didn't care too much about it. All she was worried about that night was how to assert herself as the popular girl. She would not fall short to Elena, yet again, during her last year in high school.<p>

She needed three things in order to gain the status she desired. One was a perfect boyfriend that everyone loved, and she had her eyes set on Tyler Lockwood. He was the perfect stereotype jock, somewhat of a jerk, but he could play nice when necessary. The second thing she needed was to be captain of the cheer squad. That was easy, Caroline would be captain of the junior squad, and Amber could easily win the affection of the senior squad. The last thing she needed was for everyone to stop giving her pity for her parents' death. She knew what had happened and didn't need everyone reminding her from day to day.

Her thoughts drifted until she spotted Tyler, then she was on the move. He had just emerged from the woods and appeared extremely annoyed. She was going to have to seem slightly drunk to get his attention. She yanked her white, somewhat sheer, t-shirt down so she showed more cleavage. She tousled her caramel hair and made her way towards Tyler, who was now holding a red solo cup.

" Hey Ty!" She slurred his name, although completely sober, she sounded slightly tipsy. It got his attention, he turned and smiled at her, his eyes drifting down to her chest for a few seconds before moving back up to meet hers.

" Amber, I haven't seen you since, well last night actually. How has my favorite cheerleader been?" He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into a sideways hug. She could tell that it would be easy to seduce him, he was already wasted and all she needed now was some privacy.

" Why don't we go somewhere…quiet." She whispered into his ear, he let out a low whistle and she smiled. As they prepared to depart for the woods, a commotion erupted near the fire pit.

" Somebody help!" Elena's voice echoed over to her and Amber turned, her eyes widening as she noticed Vicki Donovan hanging in Jeremy's arms.

" Vicki… what the hell?" Matt's voice cracked as he rushed towards his unconscious sister. Tyler sprinted over to where Jeremy laid Vicki and the look on his face was full of concern.

" Someone call an ambulance!" He yelled, Amber whipped out her phone and called 911, answering the operator's questions as she stood by Elena and Jeremy.

The police showed up sometime later. Elena and Jeremy were talking over by the fire pit. Jeremy was still drinking and Amber understood why. She wanted to join them, but ever since she left for the summer, they were no longer close. Elena had gone her own way and Jeremy had become a stoner. She couldn't connect with them anymore and hoped that they would be able to become friends again soon. She turned away from them, stalking towards her car parked down towards The Falls. She hopped in and drove, driving until she was no longer aware of where she was.

She found herself at the Mystic Grille, but she never got out of her car. She just sat there, watching Caroline and Bonnie talking inside. She could tell that it would take more than just an apology to make it up to Caroline for not calling her all summer. She would start trying tomorrow. Instead of getting out of her car, she backed up, pulling out of the parking lot and heading for the hospital.

Matt was sitting in the room, holding onto Vicki's hand as she awoke. Amber was about to walk in when she heard Vicki mumble something. Her eyes widened and the scene of the animal attack came rushing back to her. The way the hood was dented, the way the blood had dripped onto the car as if from a height. The word that Vicki mumbled seemed to make sense to her. _Vampire_.

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><p><strong>So Amber finds out pretty early on about the whole concept of vampires, but she won't really get far with that idea. I know she comes across as really snobbish in some parts but she is trying to get out from under her sister's shadow so her whole 'plan' to become 'queen bee' or whatever is only a temporary thing. She's not like that deep down but more will be explained in the next couple of chapters. Alright well please give me any criticism or suggestions you guys have in a review and I'll probably update again once I have a few reviews, they really help me stay motivated to write these stories. :) If you have any ideas for pairings I would love to hear them. I was thinking maybe an OCDamon for a while but then OC/Original. Not sure yet. I'll take all the suggestions I can get.**


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